Robert Geminder

Born in Poland, Bob was only four years old when World War II started for him and his family. Being forced out of their home, the family went East and settled in Stanislawow. Bob and his family, along with 20,000 other Jewish people in town were transported to a cemetery just outside the city limits to be killed. Luckily for Bob and his family, that day they were in the back of the cemetery and along with 6,000 others survived the slaughter. These people were then placed in a ghetto. Bob escaped the ghetto when he was under his mother’s skirt as she walked out of the ghetto to work.

They lived and hid for the next four years as Christians. Finally, toward the end of the war, they were transported to Auschwitz. They managed to find a rail car with an open top and escaped about 100 yards from the gates of Auschwitz. 

When the war was finally over, Bob and the family escaped from Poland to West Germany. Through the help of their relatives living in the U.S., they were able to move to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Bob was finally able to start school. He eventually went on to graduate from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Twelve years ago Bob went back to school and became a math teacher. He currently actively speaks at many schools and other venues all over the world so people can learn from his experiences and history.  Location: Congregation Ner Tamid of South Bay, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. 

Bob’s message for the world:
“My life should be a lesson to the world that hatred of people cannot exist – the world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”
Abstract/Description: Born in Poland, Bob was only four years old when World War II started for him and his family. Being forced out of their home, the family went East and settled in Stanislawow. Bob and his family, along with 20,000 other Jewish people in town were transported to a cemetery just outside the city limits to be killed. Luckily for Bob and his family, that day they were in the back of the cemetery and along with 6,000 others survived the slaughter. These people were then placed in a ghetto. Bob escaped the ghetto when he was under his mother’s skirt as she walked out of the ghetto to work. They lived and hid for the next four years as Christians. Finally, toward the end of the war, they were transported to Auschwitz. They managed to find a rail car with an open top and escaped about 100 yards from the gates of Auschwitz. When the war was finally over, Bob and the family escaped from Poland to West Germany. Through the help of their relatives living in the U.S., they were able to move to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Bob was finally able to start school. He eventually went on to graduate from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Twelve years ago Bob went back to school and became a math teacher. He currently actively speaks at many schools and other venues all over the world so people can learn from his experiences and history. Location: Congregation Ner Tamid of South Bay, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Bob’s message for the world: “My life should be a lesson to the world that hatred of people cannot exist – the world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”
Subject(s): Portraits
Geminder, Robert
Rancho Palos Verdes (Calif.)
2011-2020